Today biodiversity is an important issue in forestry, and it should be considered in all silvicultural measures. Follow-up of nature conservation should also be done by FSC certified companies after i.e. final fellings. The purpose of this study was to describe the results of the nature conservation made by three companies in southern Sweden, their methodology of follow-up, to find out if there is a relation between the results of the follow-up and the methodologies used, and to describe the companies own opinions. Both the proportion of approved final fellings and the methodology of follow-up differed between the companies. One company differed from the others regarding the measurement of the volume of deciduous trees. The companies also differed in how they put together the final results of the follow-up. It might be a correlation between the proportion of approved final fellings and the methodology used.

The challenges faced by the Brazilian forest industry dealing with the natural forests and plantations have provided favourable ground for the establishment of forest certification. This study presents the first investigation of the two certification systems (FSC and Cerflor) in Brazil from the private sector perspective. Through an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), market, learning, and signaling were validated as governance mechanisms of forest certification in Brazil. The results from the importance and performance analysis (IPA) indicated that companies did not see any return in terms of a better price for certified products; however, they demonstrated high satisfaction with the performances of non-economic benefits. Descriptive statistics revealed external pressures influencing companies to pursue forest certification and overall accomplishments of certification from economic, social and ecological points of view. Finally, suggestions for future research and conclusions are made in order to provide information for the industry, certification systems, and the Brazilian government.

The challenges faced by the Brazilian forest industry dealing with the natural forests and plantations have provided favourable ground for the establishment of forest certification. This study presents the first investigation of the two certification systems (FSC and Cerflor) in Brazil from the private sector perspective. Through an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), market, learning, and signaling were validated as governance mechanisms of forest certification in Brazil. The results from the importance and performance analysis (IPA) indicated that companies did not see any return in terms of a better price for certified products; however, they demonstrated high satisfaction with the performances of non-economic benefits. Descriptive statistics revealed external pressures influencing companies to pursue forest certification and overall accomplishments of certification from economic, social and ecological points of view. Finally, suggestions for future research and conclusions are made in order to provide information for the industry, certification systems, and the Brazilian government.

Different groups in the forestry sector were likely to have different views regarding the responsibility for an environmentally sustainable forestry and the benefits of certification and this study aimed to examine the attitudes that existed in the forestry sector to the certification schemes FSC and PEFC. In the study a survey and a questionnaire were sent out to different groups. The investigation was made with respect to three groups: forest owners, forest contractors and employees working with the certification schemes on a daily basis at the forest company Södra. The groups agreed that the owner of the forest had the main responsibility for an environmentally sustainable forestry. The study revealed that all three groups highly valued the environmental aspect of certification. Forest owners also identified financial gain as a benefit. The forest contractors felt that the certification gave orderliness to their work but also saw an economic cost from being certified. The forest company employees found certification as an access to a widermarket with certified products. Half of the forest owners estimated their knowledge of the certification schemes to be inadequate while forest contractors and the employees of Södra valued their knowledge as sufficient. The forest owners had less education about the certification schemes than the other groups. / Olika grupper i skogsbranschen riskerar att ha olika syn när det gäller ansvaret för ett miljömässigt hållbart skogsbruk och nyttan med certifiering och den här studien gjordes för att undersöka vilka inställningar som fanns i skogsbranschen till certifieringssystemen FSC och PEFC. Arbetet gjordes med avseende på tre grupper: skogsägare, skogsentreprenörer och anställda som arbetar på skogsföretaget Södra med certifiering i sitt dagliga arbete. I studien skickades en enkät och ett frågeformulär ut. Undersökningen visade att de tre grupperna värderade miljömässigt hållbart skogsbruk med certifiering högt. Som skogsägare fick man en certifieringspremie för det certifierade virke som man sålde. Skogsägarna såg också en ekonomisk vinning med certifiering. Skogsentreprenörerna ansåg att certifiering i högre grad gav ordning och reda i deras arbete men att det fanns en ekonomisk kostnad med att vara certifierad. Skogsföretagsgruppen menade att certifierade produkter gav tillgång till en större marknad för skogsföretaget. Grupperna var överens om att ansvaret för ett miljömässigt hållbart skogsbruk låg på de/den som ägde skogsmarken. Samtidigt uppskattade hälften av skogsägarna att deras kunskaper om certifieringarna var otillräckliga medan skogsentreprenörerna och skogsföretagsgruppen ansåg att deras kunskaper var tillräckliga. Detta kunde bero på att skogsägarna fick mindre utbildning av certifiering än de andra två grupperna. Det här arbetet har visat att grupperna inte har olika syn när det gäller vikten av att ett miljömässigt hållbart skogsbruk bedrivs.

First time name of certification were mentioned 1990s concerning a problems with bad forest practices, hard improvement of governmental regulations especial in tropics. Later this concern were growing to 1992 Rio de Janeiro conference. And so, need of strict forest system in 1993 established Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Main activities started later 1996 in Canada with small group of people which started developing countries regional standards (Claros, 2009). Now FSC program is one of the biggest forest certification and accreditation providing company providing wood and their products and certification service. This program supports LEED Lumber, IKEA, biggest companies buying wood in the world, non governamental organisations World wild Fund (WWF), Green peace (www.fsc.org). The curiosity of how FSC forest certification impact forest management in Lithuania and Russia and lack of FSC standard studies with national law encouraged to create such study. We want to analyze FSC certification annual public reports raised CAR’s (Corrective action request) from Forest Management Units (FMU) - enterprises, leaseholders in Lithuania and Russia. The first aim was to find, what main CAR’s in Lithuania, Russia and distribute CAR’s to environmental, economical, social type aspects. In later stages analyze Lithuanian and Russian FSC standards Smart Wood, SGS Qualifor and Russian national. In the last step to compare FSC standards with state law for each country. Analysis of... [to full text] / Pagal FSC standartus miškai pradėti sertifikuoti nuo 1993 metų. Patogi sertifikavimo sistema leido minėtam standartui išplisti visame pasaulyje. Bolivijoje, Brazilijoje, Indonezijoje FSC sertifikavimas vis dar plečiamas (Claros, 2009). Sertifikacijos dėka gerinama miškų valdymo kokybė, biologinės įvairovės apsauga, sprendžiamos darbuotojų saugos problemos. Šio standarto visapusišku naudingumu neabejoja daugelis FSC rėmėjų: LEED Lumber, IKEA, bei didžiausios miško produktus superkančios ar nevyriausybinės organizacijos, Pasaulio gamtos fondas (World wild Fund WWF), Green peace (www.fsc.org). Mokslinių darbų, nagrinėjančių miškų sertifikaciją objektyviai, yra nedaug ir miškų sertifikavimo tema nėra plačiai nagrinėjama palyginus su socialiniais, miško gyvosios ir negyvosios gamtos sąveikos tyrimais. Miškų sertifikavimo standartų palyginamųjų darbų taip pat yra negausu. Šio darbo sukūrimo pagrindas – galimybė išanalizuoti skirtumus tarp FSC sertifikuotų kaimyninių šalių (Lietuvos ir Rusijos) miškų tvarkymo vienetų ir naudojimo standartų (MTV – Lietuvoje valstybinių miškų įmonių urėdijų ir Rusijoje miškų ūkių ir miškų nuomotojų). Taip pat norima sužinoti, ar Lietuvoje ir Rusijoje susiduriama su skirtingais sertifikavimo pažeidimais. Šių pažeidimų koregavimo veiksmų reikalavimų (KVR) aspektų pagalba palyginti Lietuvos ir Rusijos FSC miškų valdymo sertifikacijos standartus bei su standartais susijusi šalių miškų teisė. Kita šio darbo dalis, skirta ištirti kokią įtaką ekonominės... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

En viktig målsättning i den svenska skogspolitiken är att skogsbruket ska bedrivas på ett hållbart sätt och i Skogsvårdslagen är produktionsmålen och miljömålen jämställda. Skogsägare kan utöver detta åta sig att certifiera sin fastighet, antingen genom FSC eller PEFC. Certifiering är ett marknadsdrivet, frivilligt åtagande och handlar om att ta ett större ansvar för miljö och natur än vad Skogsvårdslagen kräver.  Syftet med denna studie är att jämföra förekomst av naturvärden på certifierade fastigheter och icke-certifierade fastigheter genom fältinventering av utvalda kriterier. Kriterierna valdes utifrån mätbara och synliga indikatorer på naturvärden och utifrån faktorer som speglar variationsrikedom, hänsyn, kontinuitet, flora-och faunaobjekt och återväxt. I denna studie har vi arbetat fram en funktionell inventeringsmall i syfte att kartlägga naturvärden på fastighetsnivå.  En slutsats från inventeringen var att naturens egna förutsättningar är en viktig faktor för förekomsten av naturvärden i högre grad än om fastigheten är certifierad eller inte.

O trabalho teve como objetivo analisar como as empresas comunicam ao público externo, por meio do resumo público de auditoria, suas dificuldades (representadas pelas não conformidades) para atender aos requisitos socioambientais da certificação FSC. Foi considerada a influência da configuração da auditoria na comunicação às partes externas. Foram coletados dados secundários de 95 resumos públicos das auditorias executadas entre 2010 e 2015, analisados pela técnica da análise de conteúdo com o intuito de identificar as principais áreas temáticas as quais as não conformidades evidenciadas se referiam, sendo mapeado um total de onze áreas temáticas. Com base em análise estatística descritiva (testes de Kruskal Wallis e Chi quadrado) buscou-se identificar as relações entre as características das auditorias definidas (Tamanho da equipe auditora, Diversidade na formação da equipe, Tempo de auditoria, Empresa certificadora e Evento de auditoria) e as áreas temáticas identificadas. Atendimento à legislação do trabalho; Plano de manejo; Qualidade do monitoramento do sistema; e Comunicação e relacionamento com o público foram as áreas temáticas com maior quantidade de não conformidades. Identificou-se que, com exceção de casos específicos, não há relações significativas entre as características das auditorias e a comunicação de não conformidades. No entanto, isso não quer dizer que a maneira como a auditoria ocorre não influencie a qualidade dos resultados obtidos, pois há outros fatores, como a qualidade e veracidade das não conformidades apontadas, a ser considerados. Os relatórios públicos de auditoria representam um avanço na comunicação dos resultados socioambientais obtidos, que convergem com a necessidade de transparência da certificação. Entretanto, há de se evoluir na busca da divulgação de resultados de maneira mais clara e organizada e na relação com comunidades do entorno dos empreendimentos florestais / The study aimed to analyze how companies communicate to the public through the public summary of audit their difficulties (represented by the non-conformities) to meet the environmental requirements of FSC certification. The influence of the configuration of the audit was considered on the results obtained in the process, results these communicated to external parties. We collected secondary data from 95 public summaries carried out between 2010 and 2015, analyzed by the content analysis technique in order to identify the main thematic areas which non-conformities referred, and mapped a total of eleven thematic areas. Based on descriptive statistical analysis (Kruskal Wallis test and Chi square) sought to identify the relationship between the characteristics of the audits defined (Size of the audit team, Diversity in the training of staff, Audit time, Certifying company and Audit event) and thematic areas identified. The Compliance with labor legislation; Management plan; Quality of system monitoring; Communication and relationship with the public were the thematic areas with the highest number of non-conformities. It was found that, except for specific cases, there is no significant relationship between the characteristics of the audits and the disclosure of non-conformities. However, this does not mean that the way the audit happen not influence the quality of the results, as there are other factors such as the quality and truthfulness of non-compliances identified to be considered. Public reports represent a breakthrough in communication of socioenvironmental results obtained, converging with the need for transparency in the certification. However, is necessary to evolve in pursuit of disseminating results in a more clear and organized way and at the relation with the communities that surrounding enterprise

O trabalho teve como objetivo analisar como as empresas comunicam ao público externo, por meio do resumo público de auditoria, suas dificuldades (representadas pelas não conformidades) para atender aos requisitos socioambientais da certificação FSC. Foi considerada a influência da configuração da auditoria na comunicação às partes externas. Foram coletados dados secundários de 95 resumos públicos das auditorias executadas entre 2010 e 2015, analisados pela técnica da análise de conteúdo com o intuito de identificar as principais áreas temáticas as quais as não conformidades evidenciadas se referiam, sendo mapeado um total de onze áreas temáticas. Com base em análise estatística descritiva (testes de Kruskal Wallis e Chi quadrado) buscou-se identificar as relações entre as características das auditorias definidas (Tamanho da equipe auditora, Diversidade na formação da equipe, Tempo de auditoria, Empresa certificadora e Evento de auditoria) e as áreas temáticas identificadas. Atendimento à legislação do trabalho; Plano de manejo; Qualidade do monitoramento do sistema; e Comunicação e relacionamento com o público foram as áreas temáticas com maior quantidade de não conformidades. Identificou-se que, com exceção de casos específicos, não há relações significativas entre as características das auditorias e a comunicação de não conformidades. No entanto, isso não quer dizer que a maneira como a auditoria ocorre não influencie a qualidade dos resultados obtidos, pois há outros fatores, como a qualidade e veracidade das não conformidades apontadas, a ser considerados. Os relatórios públicos de auditoria representam um avanço na comunicação dos resultados socioambientais obtidos, que convergem com a necessidade de transparência da certificação. Entretanto, há de se evoluir na busca da divulgação de resultados de maneira mais clara e organizada e na relação com comunidades do entorno dos empreendimentos florestais / The study aimed to analyze how companies communicate to the public through the public summary of audit their difficulties (represented by the non-conformities) to meet the environmental requirements of FSC certification. The influence of the configuration of the audit was considered on the results obtained in the process, results these communicated to external parties. We collected secondary data from 95 public summaries carried out between 2010 and 2015, analyzed by the content analysis technique in order to identify the main thematic areas which non-conformities referred, and mapped a total of eleven thematic areas. Based on descriptive statistical analysis (Kruskal Wallis test and Chi square) sought to identify the relationship between the characteristics of the audits defined (Size of the audit team, Diversity in the training of staff, Audit time, Certifying company and Audit event) and thematic areas identified. The Compliance with labor legislation; Management plan; Quality of system monitoring; Communication and relationship with the public were the thematic areas with the highest number of non-conformities. It was found that, except for specific cases, there is no significant relationship between the characteristics of the audits and the disclosure of non-conformities. However, this does not mean that the way the audit happen not influence the quality of the results, as there are other factors such as the quality and truthfulness of non-compliances identified to be considered. Public reports represent a breakthrough in communication of socioenvironmental results obtained, converging with the need for transparency in the certification. However, is necessary to evolve in pursuit of disseminating results in a more clear and organized way and at the relation with the communities that surrounding enterprise

Šio darbo tikslas yra išanalizuoti pagrindines FSC standarto poveikio sritis. Tikslui pasiekti buvo apklausos Lietuvos valstybinės miškų urėdijos, kaip pagrindinis sertifikavimo objektas. Didesniam analizės patikimumui pasiekti buvo atlikta ir pilotinė girininkijų apklausa. Šių apklausų rezultatai buvo lyginami ir analizuojami. Norint giliau ištirti sertifikavimo poveikį išorinėms suinteresuotosioms grupėms buvo apklausti keturių numatytų grupių atstovai. Apklausų rezultatai susisteminti ir apibendrinti. Tyrimo metu nustatyta, jog sertifikavimas nepadarė žymaus poveikio miškų valdymui. Urėdijų ir girininkijų darbuotojai atsakymai buvo panašūs. Daugiausiai žymesnių teigiamų pokyčių buvo nustatyta socialinėje srityje. Aukščiausiai teigiamai įvertinti klausimai buvo susiję su lengvai pastebimais, išmatuojamais ir palyginamais pokyčiais. Sudėtingesni ir sunkiau pastebimi pokyčiai buvo įvertinti beveik neutraliai. Pvz.: “Valstybinių miškų rūšinė sudėtis”. Tai gali būti siejama su miško ekosistemų specifika. Ekonominių pokyčių vertinimo analizė atskleidė, jog po sertifikavimo urėdijos prekių kaina ir paklausa pakito labai nežymiai. Ekonominės paskatos yra pagrindinis sertifikavimą skatinantis veiksnys, tad galima teigti, jog Lietuvoje miško savininkai yra silpnai skatinami sertifikuoti savo valdas. Sertifikavimo poveikio skirtingoms suinteresuotosioms grupėms analizė parodė, jog reikšmingai skiriasi valstybinių ir privačių grupių atstovų nuomonės. Privačių organizacijų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of this paper is to analyze the main impacts of the FSC. In order to achieve this goal, the survey was the Lithuanian state forest enterprises as the main subject of the certification. For added reliability analysis was performed to achieve the rangers and the pilot survey. The survey results were compared and analyzed. To further investigate the impact of certification on external stakeholders were interviewed by the four groups. Structured interviews and summarized results. The study found that the certification had no significant effect on forest management. Enterprises and district staff responses were similar. The most significant positive changes were found in the social sphere. Extra points were assessed positively associated with easily discernible, measurable and comparable developments. The more complex and more difficult to assess changes were evaluated as almost neutral. For example. "State forest composition”. This can be attributed to the specifics of forest ecosystems. Economic impact analysis revealed that after certification of enterprises, and the price of goods and demand has changed very slightly. Economic incentives are a key factor leading to certification, so it can be stated that Lithuanian owners are not encouraged to certify their holdings. The certification effect analysis of different stakeholders showed the significant differences between public and private groups opinion. The Private organizations were less active and the means of... [to full text]

The conversion of natural forests to production land uses has led to huge losses of biodiversity and continues to threaten remaining terrestrial flora and fauna throughout the world. The global demand for wood products and energy, which was partly responsible for the loss of primary native habitat, is now one of the leading drivers of afforestation with significant new areas of plantation replacing former agricultural lands. While plantations do not support the same biodiversity values as natural forests they do provide significant habitat for a range of species. Saproxylic invertebrates (species that are dependent on deadwood) are strongly affected by the temporal and spatial availability of different deadwood resources. Previous research on saproxylic invertebrates has largely been restricted to natural or managed natural forests predominantly in the Northern Hemisphere, where forest management practices have been modified to conserve these species This thesis fills a distinct research gap in New Zealand and is the first large scale study to quantify the effects of deadwood age, wood species, and landscape composition on saproxylic invertebrates in our plantation forests by direct rearing. In this thesis I show that thinning residues, which are currently retained in many plantation forests, provide significant habitat for a range of native invertebrate taxonomic groups, including diverse assemblages of Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. Deadwood age is an important attribute determining taxonomic richness of saproxylic invertebrates. Richness of invertebrate orders/classes and Coleoptera species all increased in older deadwood material, and a stepwise multidimensional analysis procedure indicated that the age of deadwood was the most important factor structuring saproxylic invertebrate community composition in Pinus radiata thinning residues. Deadwood age was a stronger predictor of community composition in thinning residue than measures of landscape composition, such as the proportion of remnant native forest cover. The change in saproxylic invertebrate composition that occurs with deadwood age was related to changes in the feeding guilds, with a transition from primary wood feeding species to predators/parasitoids and fungal feeders with increasing dead wood age. Because thinning’s are carried out at prescribed times throughout the stand rotation, stand age could be adopted as a proxy for deadwood age in these systems allowing forest managers a simple method for monitoring saproxylic beetle habitat availability . My research provides strong empirical evidence that supports the existing conservation paradigm that forest managers should seek to create a mosaic of habitats at the landscape scale to enhance biodiversity opportunities in plantations. In addition to the habitat opportunities provided by P. radiata deadwood that is derived from silvicultural practices there are several sources of native wood in plantations. Native woody resources are found in either the embedded remnant areas of native forest or in the understory of stands as many native woody species colonise this habitat. As yet the importance of native understory deadwood resources for saproxylic species is unknown. In addition it is unclear how the importance of such understory resources is influenced by proximity to remnant native forest patches. I used experimental wood billets of four tree species (3 native and the exotic P. radiata) placed along replicated transects spanning native habitat and adjacent early stage regenerating plantation stands to assess the saproxylic invertebrate assemblages associated with different deadwood species as a function of proximity to native forest. I found that an interaction between wood host specificity (local scale) and proximity to interior native forest (landscape scale) was the most important factor regulating saproxylic invertebrate community structure. Deadwood of the native subcanopy trees Schefflera digitata, Melicytus ramiflorus, Aristotelia serrata and the exotic conifer P. radiata provided habitat for different subsets of the saproxylic fauna. The most pronounced differences in saproxylic community structure were between the native sub-canopy broadleaf species and the exotic P. radiata. Surprisingly the P. radiata supported a greater species richness and abundance of saproxylic Coleoptera in native remnants than the native wood species in the same habitat. In general, species richness was higher in native forest habitats and declined with increasing distance from native habitat. These results suggest that both the diversity of deadwood resources that are available and their proximity to native remnants are important for maintaining saproxylic communities in plantations. However, two of the native wood species (M. ramiflorus and A. serrata) exhibited steep declines in species richness at the plantation native forest boundary, suggesting that the contrasting stand types (native remnant and young regenerating plantation stands) with their different microclimate may have had a significant influence. Future research needs to compare the saproxylic fauna of dead wood in mature plantation stands with adjacent native remnants to ascertain if the effect of native habitat proximity is due to landscape composition or a reflection of microclimatic differences. The large diversity of saproxylic species observed during this study highlights the importance of plantations as habitat for saproxylic species, particularly in heavily fragmented landscapes that retain little original native forest. My research findings provide forest managers with options for improving forest management to enhance opportunities for the conservation of saproxylic invertebrates. In addition my thesis provides one of the most comprehensive multi-taxon data sets of saproxylic species associated with a variety of deadwood resources. This information will be invaluable to future researchers that continue to work on New Zealand’s saproxylic fauna.